Second, finish up The Etched City because author K.J. Bishop will be dropping by later in the week to field your questions. I’m very much looking forward to hearing your thoughts on this very interesting entry.
Third, actress Janina Gavankar (a.k.a. Sergeant “Dusty” Mehra from season 5’s Whispers) is here to respond to your questions. A huge thanks to Janina for taking the time.
Fourth and finally – Il blog di oggi è dedicato ai “fan” italiani di Stargate. Conoscete chi siete!
Over to Janina…
Hey all! I’m writing this as I road-trip from Cincinnati to Chicago. So. I was telling my friend (heidi.deviantart.com, a fan of SG-1, Stargate Atlantis, and scifi in general) “sure I’d be open to answering questions, if anyone even cared”. She basically smacked me upside the head and told me that real scifi fans embrace n00bs.
So here we go! Sadly, in an attempt to answer all your questions (who knew there’d be so many!), I had to make the answers short. Also, if you don’t see your question answered, it’s probably been covered already. Stargate Atlantis WAS actually the most fun I’ve ever had on a gig, and I hope you love the episode as much as we do.
xo!
~j
MaggieMayDay writes: “For Janina, what was the best part of the costuming and what was the worst? Anything you’d like to take home and wear in the default world?”
The best is definitely the P90. It’s quite a gun. Walkin’ around with it attached to your vest makes you feel pretty rad. I’d love to take a fake one home, but I don’t see customs handling that well!
The worst was that even with a million things to wear, I was still cold. I don’t know how it was possible. Long underwear, your normal black uniform, a big tech vest, hand warmers stuffed in everywhere, and I was still sniffly.
Wraithfodder writes: “Question for Janina: Lots of scifi is full of green screen. Did you get the opportunity to work with lots of special effects? Thx.”
Nope. No green screen for us. Just good ol creature killin!
Caitlyanna writes: “What was a memorable moment that happened on the set of Whispers?”
Lots of moments. Christina has some hilarious stories. By the last day, we were all a little bit giggly. Keeping straight faces for some of the drama was impossible.
Archer’s Angel writes: “1. who would you like to have a scene with on sga that you didn’t yet have one with?
1. Everyone else! Our episode felt like it’s own little show b/c the only regular characters were Shep and Carson, which was fun, but we missed the others.
2. what did you like about your character?
2. I loved that Dusty was a silent killer. All guts and glory.
3. if you wrote an episode that focused on your character what would it be called?
3. Hm. Oo! How bout a silent film-esque episode?? it would be called “…”
4. do you like sci-fi? if so, what sci-fi books, movies and tv shows do you like?”
4. I do like scifi! I love X-Files, Lost, (if you consider that scifi), BSG, of COURSE Stargate and all it’s permutations. I now love Neil Gaiman, but I grew up reading Vonnegut, Douglas Adams, and Michael Chrichton. I read Sphere waaaay too young. Scared the pants off me…. Wow… typing this makes me realize how much of a fan i REALLY am.
Morjana writes: “Question for Ms. Gavankar: Had you ever fired an automatic weapon (P90) before appearing on SGA? If not, what was your reaction? For example, you had fun, you didn’t have fun, you thought of borrowing one for that “special occasion?” And the ever popular Stargate generic question — what does Paul McGillion smell like? Irish Spring? Oh, I guess that should be Scott Spring!”
I go skeet and trap shooting with my boyfriend often. I’m a strangely good shot with a .357 magnum, of all things, but this was my first time with an automatic weapon… and it was teh awesome. And Pauly? He smells yummy for sure.
Namiko writes: “My question for Ms. Gavankar is, did she watch any episodes of SGA to prepare for the audition (or for the role, once she got the part)? What did she think of the show? If she didn’t watch any episodes, why not?”
I had seen Atlantis eps before auditioning, but I didn’t watch more before going to work, because I didn’t want to overanalyze, or “try to fit in”. Things are totally different once you arrive on a set.
K8T writes: “1) Is Joe M really as nice a person as he seems to be?
1. no comment. I keed I keed. Anyone who invites n00bs to his chocolate party is ok in my book!
2) What was it like to work on an scifi show? Do you have any prior experience in this genre? How is it different from the other shows you have worked on?
2. This was my first foray into scifi. It’s different because you have to use your imagination a bit more. ex 1: This actor in front of you is your neighbor, who you have a crush on. ex 2: This actor in front of you is an alien…who you have a crush on.3) Were you a fan of SGA/SG-1 before getting the part?”
3. Yep!
Leila Philips writes: “Having been in the military I can say that the first time I fired an automatic rifle freaked me out. Soon, though, I was wanting to shoot everything. The machine guns were the best!
So, how was your first time firing the weapons on Atlantis? If they did scare you at first, did you get to like firing them? Whether you survive on this episode or not would you like to come back and do future episodes? This isn’t as crazy a question as it might seem – just ask Jewel Staite and Paul McGillion.”
Joe shot my first time shooting the P90:
http://video.google.com/googleplayer.swf?docId=4944063432214550648It wasn’t scary, but it was more power than expected. (You can see from the first shot, I feel the kickback.) And I would LOVE to come back! I had a BLAST!
Sylvia writes: “Questions for Janina Gavankar” 1. After filming SCIFI Atlantis – how would you compare your experiences with this group to other productions?
Well it’s hard to compare the Stargate production crew to other shows, b/c they’ve been together for over a decade. They’re a level of fluidity that they have that is only achieved through years of dedication.
2.. After your experience with Atlantis, in general, how would you characterize your opinion of SciF? Has your opinion changed? If yes, better? or worse?
My opinion of scifi has always been high. That hasn’t changed.
3. Frequently, we have heard comments like – “…I only am familiar with my scenes and not an entire episode…” Have you had the opportunity to watch any of the episodes you are in?
I’ve only seen little snippets of “Whispers”, but nothing cut together.
4. What is your reaction to the variety on Atlantis? Meaning – Atlantis Horror? Atlantis humor? the human drama of the personal interactions?
I love the variety. So often shows stick to their tried and true format, w/no delineation, out of fear. The stargate family and fans have been together for so long that there’s a trust that factors into the creativity. “Whispers” was so exciting b/c it felt like a totally different show for 2 weeks.
5. So far, what is your favorite or one of your favorite actions/scenes/episodes on the show?
*cough cough*WHISPERS*cough*
6. What are your favorite “catered foods” while on set? Special drinks? Water, other?
I only accept green M&Ms in my trailer. j/k! Well there was this one day when the caterers made this gynormo-cake that was more than a foot high. It was Amaretto. And since my favorite thing in the world is marzipan?… I kinda almost didn’t fit into my uniform the next day.
7. Do not want to put you on the spot…so if you prefer not to respond, that’s ok. Have you formed friendships with other cast and/or crew? Would you care to share names? And, do you guys do things off productions..like sports or other activities?
Absolutely! We all got a long really well. Sadly, Leela lives in Canada, but Nicole, Pauly, and Christina and I all live in LA, so we’ll will definitely keep in touch.
8. What are your thoughts on attending conventions? Like an Atlantis focused convention?”
I’d go in a heartbeat!! But I’d probably be too busy going from booth to booth to sit at one myself!
AV Eddy writes: “For Ms. Janina: Thanks for taking questions! We’ve seen quite a few creepy pictures from the set of Whispers. When you’re on set and working “in the moment,” does the set feel as creepy as it looks to us viewers? Or does the set feel like the unreal reality it really is.”
It depends on where you let your mind go. In that fog, you could only see about a half a foot in front of you, so it was disconcerting.
Flygirl writes: “Question for Janina – Did you do any type of prep work or research to understand what life is like for a woman in the U.S. military? Did portraying a military member, of a key team, give you any insights you didn’t have before taking on this role? I spent 20 years in the U.S. Air Force, so I have a personal interest in how military women are portrayed.”
Wow. I wish I would’ve known you! If we go back, I’ve got some questions for you! I unfortunately didn’t have enough time to delve into the research like I’d have liked to. But my brother in law was a Marine, my grandfather was a general and and my grandmother was a war nurse, so I went off what I know.
NeKo writes: “What is your most memorable moment? In relation to your time filming that is XD”
My most memorable moment was seeing my nerdy boyfriend and 2 of the mastermind engineers behind deviantART get a personal tour of the SG stages. They came back to my trailer, showed me pics on iphones, and were so geeked, I took a moment and went “wow. the people making this show are awesome.”
David writes: “Why would you say working on Stargate Atlantis has been your “most fun gig ever” (stated by Joe M.)? Thanks”
B/c it WAS!!! Ok. I’m a she geek who got to run around for 2 weeks shooting a sub machine gun. um. yeah. THE MOST FUN EVAH!
Skypig writes: “Janina, hi!
How many episodes are you in this season? If more than one, how much character development will Dusty experience? And, also, does she have any amusing/significant scenes with Ronon?”
You have to ask Joe how many eps I’m/we’re in…. *nudge nudge*
Sadly, no Ronon scenes. But you guys seriously need a tour of his trailer. It’s like a pirate ship.
Nebulan writes: “Heh, as a DeviantArt addict, my questions for Janina might get kinda silly with stuff like “What’s it like dating a deviantArt god” or “If Dusty fanart started popping up on deviantArt, would that freak you out?”
Hee-hee! Well, he doesn’t consider himself a god, at ALL. I know he just feels honored to be a part of such a thriving community. And to me, he’s just my nerdy boyfriend who I like to play Dr. Mario with until 3 in the morning.
Are you kidding? Dusty fanart would ROCK! Anytime an actor gets to see one of their characters drawn, it’s exciting.
But more seriously: Janina: If your character doesn’t die, would you come back and play your role again? If she does die, would you be interested in coming back and playing a different character if the opportunity came up?
I’d come back in any shape of form you guys will take me!
What do you think of all the anti-all-women-team feelings that have been going around even before the episode airs?”
I think the anti-all-women-team feelings are kind of funny. No one’s even seen the episode, so I don’t take it seriously. Also, I’m surprised to hear that anyone would be AGAINST more strong female characters onscreen. And I’d love to see any of those nay-sayers show up to set and say the same things to our tech-vested, gun-slingin faces. 😉
Tina writes: “Were you the ‘victim’ of any pranks on set????if so….what happened!!!!!”
Tina!!!!!!??????? You’re so excited, but sadly I have no prank stories. 🙁
Anais33 writes: “Connaissiez vous bien stargate avant d’être pris dans le casting?”
Oui. Je savais du film et les deux des spectacles. (Utilisé Google Translator)
Montrealer writes: “Couple of questions for Ms. Gavankar: 1) Did you expected the unseasonable weather during the shooting on location of the Whispers episode? Related to this, was the actor’s costumes adequate for the weather?
1. I had spent 5 months in Vancouver shooting The L Word in 2006, so I was ready for the weather. We were inside for almost all of our work, but it was still chilly!
2. Any comments on the Chocolate Tasting Party that Mr. M throw on the Whispers episode weekend?”
2. Zomg. I’m quite the chocoholic, so I went a leeetle crazy.
Scifi Girl writes: “Thank you for taking the time to answer questions!! Can’t wait to see your episode “Whispers” & the all-female team!!
1.) What was it like working with the All-Female Team, especially Christina Cox?
1. The all-female team is RAD. I think you guys are going to love em. We fit nicely. Ms. Christina Cox is a bad. ass. Anytime I felt iffy about something, I’d turn to her and she’d either nod or adjust me. She’s also HILARIOUS.
2.) And the “Chocolate Party” seemed wonderful, tells us about it & what was your favorite chocolate? Did you fight anyone for your favorites?
Thank You again Janina!! Keep up the great work!! =0)”
2. Hmmm.. what WERE my favorite chocolates. Joe? I think I may need to go to the next one to remember. 😉 I remember loving the lavender ones. Yum.
Ademaro writes: “A question I would ask from Janina: why did she decide to audition to a role on Atlantis?”
Simple. Who doesn’t want to be on Atlantis??
AMZ writes: “1. How did you get into acting?
1. Long story! But the short one is that I got hooked onto character building.
2. Could you briefly outline the casting process you went through for Whispers?
2. Sure! Funny story, actually. They sent me the material for Teldy. Then I got there, and found out I was reading for the wrong person. Took 2 minutes to learn the new material and just gave it a go.
3. What were the cast and crew 0f Stargate:Atlantis like to work with?
And finally…thanks for offering to answer our questions! I’m looking forward to seeing you in Whispers and more to come.”
3. The cast and crew are a jolly family. They’re so at ease, that they make you feel at home.
Chevron7 writes: “1. How does your character differ from the other officers we’ve seen on Atlantis – Sheppard, Lorne etc? Is she Air Force too?
1. Dusty is the quiet one that will save your ass in times of peril. You don’t know much about her, and she likes it that way.
2. Does your character have the ATA gene naturally, only after gene therapy or not at all?
2. I’m going with not at all. Unless writers tell me differently!
3. Can I ask a question about Ms. Dewey? I love it. What’s the craziest response they got you to give?
Thanks Janina and Joe for this!”
3. Ms. Dewey has such a plethora of craziness. She’s got a lot a skeletons in the closet. Ask her about guns. She has a collection. She also has a great cowboy hat. And have you met her manservant?
Neb writes: “Does Dusty represent one particular aspect of her team? For example Rodney is like the brain of his team, Ronon the brawn, Shep the leader and Teyla cultural expert… what about Dusty’s team? What role does Dusty play for her team?”
She’s the bodyguard. She’s always on high alert, and very confident in that role.
Dovil writes: “1. How often did Management come down to beat the actors? Were you beaten or did you manage to escape by cowering under the catering table?
1. We got smacked once a day, if we were good. If we dropped a line, we got smacked for each line.
2. How was the food?
2. The food made the smackings worth it!
3. Would you describe firing the guns as super awesome, or awesome to the extreme?
3. firing the guns = teh awesome.
4. With that many squibs etc on set were any of the crew members inadvertently killed leading to a multi-million dollar cover up by the studio?”
4. What? How did you hear about… oops. i mean. heh. no?
Thornyrose writes: “A couple of questions for Ms. Gavankar. First, if you were to have a chance to be world famous in any one field of endeavor, including but not limited to your work as a musician and actress, what would it be?
Wow. Big question. Well, I don’t see it happening at this point, but I’d love to be a known for making waves as a technologist.
What moved you from music into acting, and have you considered or done live theater?
My high school musical changed everything. It’s when I changed my focus from music to acting. In Chicago, I did theatre first, and miss it, actually. I’d love to go back to it. It’s like hitting the reset button. It refocuses you.
Do you have any future engagements in the near future, and if so, what might they be?
I’ve got episodes of other shows coming up. “My Boys” just aired, but “Factory”, the new Spike TV show, is airing soon, and I’m going back to do some random time on The L Word.
What did you think of the um, debonair gentleman running around backstage taking photographs of everyone? Many thanks for your participation here, and to Mr. Mallozzi fo hosting. And apologies for not being able to count to two…”
Joe and his three piece suits become a permanent part of the Stargate experience. He’s discrete in his picture taking, which is scary, now that I think about it.
Airelle writes: “Question for Janina, What made you choose acting?, What is the hardest/easiest part about being in front of the camera?”
I was a musician first, and changed my focus right at the end of high school. Chicago kicked my butt, and got me on track. The hardest part is no getting caught up in the details of the work. And the easiest is finding the fun in it. (Ex: Here’s a gun. You are now a space cowboy/cowgirl. You will now save humanity as we know it from the bad guys.)
Green writes: “Ms. Dewey, just tell me…er…I mean
Janina:
I’ve taken some time to read many of the questions here and realized that a lot of the introspective, in depth ones have already been asked. So forgive the scraping-the-barrelness of these. (Plus the fact that this was much better the first time around before I lost all the stuff I’d already typed…grumble!)
As a preface: You were fantastic in the L-Word. Really, very good :).
Q1: Did you ever watch Stargate regularly before taking this gig? If not: Will you watch it more, less, or just as much as you watched it previously? (No, I’m not addicted to filling out viewer poll surveys.)
A1. I didn’t want regularly, but I was very familiar with the show. Now I’m hooked.
Q2: Someone had already asked if you’d ever gotten a chance to fire a P90 before and how it was so I’m going to expound on that. If you did use some sort of weapon in this episode how many times did you get to do it? Did it get easier or harder to fire the weapon as filming progressed?
A2. I don’t remember how many times I shot the P90. It got easier b/c you simply get more familiar with the weapon, but there are lots of safety issues that have to be paid attention to, so you can’t relax entirely.
Q3: What on earth did you talk to Paul about between takes? I mean, there’s the customary “Nice hair,” and the obligatory, “So you don’t really have a Scottish accent?” but, really, where does one go after that?
A3. Pauly just makes everyone laugh. He’s adorable. We talked about American Idol… That, and we quizzed him on lines b/c he has so much scientific space jargon he has to spout quickly! I don’t know how he does it.
Q4: You have a very unique perspective acting in an already established series. In your opinion (separate from that of someone immediately involved in the series like Joe, here, or some other cast/crew member) what actors are most like their characters (from what you know about their characters) and who is completely different. And who are just weird.
A4. Since we only worked with Flanagan and Pauly, I can only give you deets on them. They’re both just as fun as their characters. Maybe even more so. You can tell they both love the show and have a great time making it.
Q5: I had a fifth question in the last draft of this comment but heck if I can remember it. All I remember is it including the words “bad arse.” Make of it what you will. Insert random bit of experience on set here, hm? Funniest event. Most enlightening experience. Favorite crew member. Scariest set piece. Any puns exchanged between cast or crew. Ionno. *pout* These questions were a lot cooler before!
A5. Favorite crew member? Rob Fournier. Ex-military. Weapons. Bad arse.
Ooh! Ooh! Here’s another question I hadn’t thought of before. One more and then I’m done.
Q6: Obviously Stargate is incredibly different than the L-Word in many ways. But was there anything that especially struck you as being different or that initially made you think “Wow, this is like nothing else I’ve done before.” Unless this was exactly like something else you’ve done. In that case, void this question.
Okay, I’m really really done, now.”
A6. In The L Word, there’s so much glamour, here we were in no makeup and the same uniform everyday. That, and there’s no girl on girl action. 😉
Amac251 writes: “Question for Janina: Will you tell us something about Joe Mallozzi that we don’t already know?”
You guys know more about him than I do, at this point! I gotta read all his blog entries to catch up. I think it’s pretty obvious that he’s a guy who loves his job, and the fans, immeasurably.
A couple questions for Janina:
. What kind of techniques do you use to get into your character? Method acting, etc.
1. I give a backstory to every character. It helps me consistently move like them, talk like them, think like them, etc. I use a variety of techniques. I’m not very method. By the time I hit the set, I pare my before-take-prep to a movement. For Dusty it was a clench of the jaw, and a mental check of my surroundings.
. What was your favorite scene to shoot during Whispers?
2. I loved standing next to the rest of the ladies and killin’ creatures.
Rebecca T. writes: “Did you get to touch the Stargate?”
I didn’t! We never worked on that stage. But I saw it, and it’s beautiful.
Shirt ‘n Tie writes: “Dear Ms Gavankar, greetings and welcome to the REAL Stargate Atlantis Hangout! If you could choose any role within the franchise, past/present/future (including guest villains etc) what would it be? And finally, are you a fan of FUEL restaurant? What a great place eh?”
Originally, I was kinda bummed that I was a “normal” person. I was hoping maybe I’d have some sort of face altering prosthetic work. But now I’m quite pleased to have been in my position. Killin bad guys aint a bad gig!
Fuel was super yummy. The food was just as amazing as the chocolate.
LB writes: “Did you have lots of stunts to do on “Whispers”? If so, what was your favorite and most interesting? Thanks for stopping by to answer questions!”
Sadly, no stunts. Just gun shootin’!
Mackenzie’s Momma writes: “For Janina- what was the WORST part about having to work on the set? (i.e. the fog, the trees, or the wild camera wielding maniac who wanders the set)”
Well the fog was a little breath-inhibiting. And it led to random moments of smacking into something/someone you couldn’t see!
Wraith Cake writes: “I really appreciate you taking time out of your hectic schedule to spend a few minutes here with us at JM’s blog. Thank-you, thank you very much in advance for this. Okay, I feel obligated to ask “the question” that most actresses will be at some point faced with in their career—beyond financial need, why do you use your sexuality as currency? This is a bold statement, but one I often ask actresses, especially those I know personally because it is an elephant in the living room issue often wrestled with. Personally, I wrestle with it because I love and at times feel ambivalent about film and actors. I have a good acquaintance friend who was recently in a successful film by a Canadian Director—two thirds of the film she spent in sex scenes. She hasn’t had much work since though she did acquired a slew of references as a result. In any event, she is one of the most affable people I have met in a long while. So, when I had the opportunity I asked her the same question, we had a wonderful ensuing discussion. Why would someone who can clearly act, and has such a charming personality feel she needs to bare her mammaries (and her nether regions for that matter) to find serious acting work—I asked her “do you fear being exploited–or at the very least being considered only in this manner?” I am a visual arts major (as well as an English major for those who know me), so nudity has always been a part of my artistic ethos, the nude human body is beautiful. However, I do take issue with “nakedness” and the intent to almost “basify” the audience. Let me clarify, clearly in this country consenting adults choose to do this. However, if you are a young woman who loves the field of drama, but does not want to use her body to titillate (I’m not talking about using one’s sexuality—everyone does this to varying degrees), why must she in order to be taken seriously? (it definitely seems this is the case in the culture of film right now.) The overarching concern I have is, if an actress does not feel comfortable with the “degree to which” she is asked by casting agents to “boob out” why does this limit her job opportunities. Also, think of the impact this has on the significant others in that actresses life—Personally, I would never be romantically linked with someone who chose to do a sex scene, no matter how many times I hear that it is “unsexy”—you are still engaging in specific acts with someone else who is not your main “squeeze”. Anyhow, I know these are heavy weight questions—people who know me, know I have never been considered “shy”. Thanks again, and good luck with the show—it is a fabulous one at that.”
I could write a thesis paper on this, and instead of doing a disservice to this subject, I’d love to answer you in a week…. after I come back from Vancouver… where I’ll be doing a sex scene… with a woman…
In the mean time, I’ll say this: I think it’s interesting that you wouldn’t be with a person who’s ACTED in a sex scene, but you’d be ok with being with someone who has had ACTUAL sex with people in the past. One’s real. One’s not.
DeeinSouthAfrica writes: “Question for Janina: What time does her day usually start, and end?”
It depends. On Stargate we were up at 5am and went about 14 hours. (Is that right Joe?) My normal life is more like 10 am to 3 am.
Thank you very much for posting this. *sends you Hungarian chocolate in exchange*
Thanks for answering the questions Janina. I can’t wait to see your episode being broadcast.
Thanks for arranging this Joe – very much appreciated.
Any chance of a Q&A with George Clooney – I have the hots for him just now.
🙂 x
Thanks, Janina for dropping by and answering our slew of questions!!
Thanks Janina for answering all the questions. You’re really interesting and intelligent (and geeky!). I hope you do come back next week to talk about sex scenes and nudity for actresses. I’m glad to see men are having to do full frontals now too–Queer As Folk and Rock Hard The Dewy Cox Story. I remember how shocking it was when Richard Gere did it in American Gigalo.
Thanks for bringing Janina Gavankar in to answer our questions, Joe! She’s definitely a woman after my own heart. 🙂 I’ve been looking forward to seeing Whispers, but now I’m looking forward to it even more. I hope you bring her back for more episodes and give her at least a regularly recurring role.
Wow Janina! Thanks so much for answering all those questions. While I didn’t have a question for you, I found your answers really interesting, thoughtful, honest, and VERY impressive! I mean, WOW! You really took your time.
I’ll be honest, too. I’m totally jealous that you got to act in my ALL TIME favorite show! If you knew how much TV I watch, you’d understand what a serious compliment that is. 😉 I think you deserve to be in the show, though.
Again, many thanks for taking time out for us fans! 😀
Trish
P.S. To Das, incase ya missed it: Miley Cyrus is Hannah Montana. Does THAT ring any bells? 🙄
Janina sounds like a great gal to work with. It’s nice seeing a “geek and proud of it” out there and loving life from the sound of it 🙂
When my Hubby calls me a geek/nerd I stand proudly with hand on heart and announce “We will rule the world one day. You’d better behave.”
Thanks Janina and thanks Joe!
Hey Joe, that Q&A was great, thanks for posting it.
I was wondering if you could tell me who did the costumes for Continuum? In particular, Claudia Black’s – it was beautiful.
Thanks,
Philippa
Any plans for Michaels’s super-bugs from Vengeance to return in s5? I know the hybrids are the ‘improved versions’, but surely Michael hasn’t just killed all his bugs after all the research and effort he did to create them?
Only up to Page 92 of The Etched City. Unless you are posting twice today, I’m hoping to have it finished by the time discussions start.
Thanks Janina. Sounds like she had so much fun on set. I can’t wait to see Whispers mainly because it looks like a good story and I’m a fan of Christina Cox.
I did want to tell you Joe that I finished The Host by Stephanie Meyer (about a month ago someone had asked you if you had ever read it or the Twilight series by her) and it was a great book. Very easy to read and not too sci-fi, technology wise. It’s a story about an alien who has been given a host and the host refuses to give up her body. The alien then learns throughout the story the meaning of love, life, family, friends and what defines a human while struggling to find her place in life. Just thought I’d tell you. I passed my book along to my mom who loves reading sci-fi. I do have my full review and thoughts on my blog if you’re interested.
I’m counting down the days until Friday. Tell Martin Gero I said Happy Birthday for me. I left a comment on his MySpace page.
pg15 said: “Chimera: While I most likely pleased the Sam/Jack fans with my review of Grace yesterday, I will surely bring about my destruction with my review of this episode today…because I liked this episode too!”
i won’t hold it against you, my friend! 😛
pg15 also said: (discussing ‘death knell’) “I also enjoyed seeing her Macgyver that rocket, and seeing her swallow right before Teal’c came to the rescue…it was touch-and-go there, as I’ve never really watched this episode the whole-way-through before.”
can i ask you a question, pg15? this is one of my fave eps, so i know it pretty well. to me, at that moment when the super soldier came up through the dirt, i thought sam gave up. i think her complete and total exhaustion just did her in, *in that moment*. i also think she knew she was not only out of options, but out of physical and emotional energy. so my question; did you see/feel that too?
sally =)
Hi Joe!
Thank-you, Janina, for answering so many of our questions! Makes me even more eager for Whispers to air!
This blog is so cool. 🙂
eddy
Hey Joe!
Wow, thanks so much for allowing Janina Gavankar to answer ALL those questions. I think she definitely had her hands full answering all of those. It was neat reading through it nonetheless! 😀
Thank you greatly for allowing these opportunities Joe. It’s amazing being able to ask questions to people involved in Stargate (including you of course 🙂 ) and other media. It’s a great experience!
Thanks as always!
– Enzo Aquarius
She is Ms Dewey (www.msdewey.com). Wow, I bet she was a lot of fun to work with.
@narelle: Oooh! I love that mantra. Can I steal it? For the GEEK shall inherit the earth, right? I think it’s even in the Bible. 😉
ooo Thanks Joe and Janina!
My 21st birthday has never been so interesting! 😀
(well really, my birthday is the 7th, but as I am in NZ and a day in front of ya’ll today is my birthday!)
I haven’t started on your mum’s cake recipe yet, as I got to the supermarket and forgot what I needed…I have a bad memory…lol
NZJ
Joe,
Now might be a good time to swing by Facebook…
http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=21878976089&ref=mf
500+ members in the DSD tribute group.
Gilder
@Trish – Consider it stolen!
Most of my mantra’s come from monks in orange robes so can’t confirm the Bible reference. I did type a large portion of it when I was younger as a way of learning to touch type and if I remember correctly there was an entire passage on geeks, their ability to heal the sick, that they don’t want anyone to build shrines for them and then they take over the world… or something like that.
@das – hope your Mum is on the mend and you get some well deserved sleep.
@Chev – if you can read this your eye is better 🙂
Thanks to Janina and of course Joe for inviting her to answers our questions, that really was fun to read and do. Loved the cake pictures, you mom is cool, love the accent, I can hear her talking.. Hope you are feeling beter Joe and dash those gremlins. Did the puppies recognize you and do they expect treats upon your return? Finished the Etched City, trying to untie my brain frequency to ask ?’s. whatever in the heck that means,,! 😉
ENJOY THE DAY!!
A long setup to the question, I apologize. Some years ago, I worked in a public Library and Dan Brown’s BOOK came out, DaVinci Code. There were hundreds of people on the waiting list, almost 500. And even though the library system had almost 100 hundred copies, the list never shrank. That’s because so many people were telling their friends about the book, and they were,,,blah blah blah. It went on for years, years. Even odder were the number of people who came in looking for the research material that Brown had used and referenced in the book. I used to take great joy in sharing with them the wondrous news that Davinci Code was book number 2! Their eyes would get wide and lust would appear, kind of like some people look at chocolate. (I was pathetic in looking for gratuitous fulfillment, but in my defense, life was kind of crappy) Somewhere I came across a reference to an interview he had done, and the transcript was on the internet. I went looking for it, read it and remember two things about it. One, that when his book hit the bestseller list, many authors currently on the list or perennially on it, called and wished him sincere congratulations. And that all of them then warned him to get a good lawyer and be prepared to be sued. For plagiarism. By the time the interview was being done, he had and was being sued. I read up on the court case and the guy who sued him lost, spectacularly. I wish I could remember the judge’s words, because they were caustic and cutting and oh so delicious. Of course, then he got sued again, in court in London and that also had the same result. Some of the lines he gave on the witness stand! He must have been polishing them for years, knowing what the questions were going to be.
Anyway, here’s your question. Ever been accused of plagiarism? How does a professional writer protect themselves and their art?
Wow! Thank you for such a delightful and entertaining Q&A, Ms. Gavankar! I gots me much lulz from it. It’s awesome to see an actor on Stargate be just as geeky and spazzy as the rest of us fans! 😀
Actually…no. What I did see was someone who seems to understand that the end has come, and has decided to face her fate head-on. See, if she had sighed and collapsed onto the ground, then I’d see it as giving up. As is, she was still propping herself up, and even though she swallowed in fear, she was still staring at that supersoldier with those intense blue eyes. She’s not going to die in a heap. She’s going to look into the face of death until such time as death takes her. That’s how I saw it.
And, given how strong Sam has been in the past, I think it makes sense.
Make that 1000+. Hell yes.
@ Trish – This ‘Hannah Montana’ – she ever open for Pearl Jam? (I’m vaguely familiar with the name – she’s for kids, right?)
@ Narelle from Aus – Thanks. Mum seems much better – but time will tell. She’s a very active lady, always cleaning, cooking, GARDENING, and the like…plus waiting hand and foot on my dad. If she’s out of commission for a while, this will all fall on me (since I work in the family business, a lot falls on me anyway). So…yeah. I bought a couple extra bottles of wine, and a whole boatload of 70%+ chocolate. At least I have this week covered. 😉
@ JM – I hope this isn’t a prying question, but what part of Italy is your mum from? The reason I ask is because my friend looks so much like her (my mom agrees), and her youngest daughter looks very much like your sister. She told me tonight her family’s from Naples, so I was just curious if – perhaps – your mother is from the same region.
das
Thanks for your time Janina.
Had the absolute pleasure of meeting Paul McGillion & David Nykl yesterday at GenConOz. They were just so cool and approachable. Total respect for coming so far to meet the fans.
Kilt from Edinburgh: 60 Pounds
Compliment from Paul McGillion: Priceless
For everything else there’s Ma$tercard
Thank you, Joe and Janina, for taking the time for our questions.
REALLY looking forward to ‘Whispers!’ And well, all of Stargate Atlantis season five.
Five days til the premiere!
🙂
Morjana
To add to my answer to majorsal, I do think that Sam realized that she was out of options, and I can definitetly see why you’d think she’d given up (as I just rewatched the scene; I probably should’ve done that before I gave my initial answer. Heh.). I can see a bit of that as well. In fact, I’m ambivalent. I’m not sure if she gave up, as I think that moment was too short to confirm anything. Though if I were to try my best to think of something, I’d say she was just blindsided there, as if her life was flashing before her eyes. To give up would mean to analyze the situation and see that there is nothing left to do, but I don’t think she had enough time for that. I think she was just tired, her mind blank at that moment due to her apparently imminent death.
Well, that was rambling. And I still think I haven’t answered the question properly.
Hi Joe,
Just saw Window of Opertunity again, since when did you have a Ph.D
Mr. M
Thank Janina for answering our questions.
Now that you are back on the West coast. Did the dogs miss you?
So, with that said, to address her last issue: at the end of the day, you are still putting your tongue in someone’s mouth—I’ll be discrete and not go on.
Joe, what do I say..? (deep breath) I am up to my arm pits in work I’ve decided to do for my holiday–Eeek! I can never just seem to give it a rest. In any event, I wanted to say a few things: 1/ I appreciate that you read my rants; I appreciate that although I do ask you very VERY pointed questions–out spoken ones at that, you don’t (at least publicly) take it personally and will genuinely answer my questions–even make some hilarious pointed comments back to me which give me a good right laugh out loud! 2/ I am just as outspoken in person as I am on any forum or blog, and it is all in good humour–I truly never go out of my way to offend intentionally, I merely believe some questions need to be asked whether they receive answers or not. Some questions should not be answered in fact. 3/I am relatively new to the forum scene and so I haven’t quite learned to not feed the “troll”–my partner always tells me “you can never win—these people owe you nothing and chances are you will never ever ever meet them, so just ignore. This is all you can do” What I tell my students is “don’t attack the person, deconstruct the argument.” In other words, avoid ad-hominid attacks. I like to say “violence – I win!!” As soon as one starts to attack the person and not the argument, you have already taken it personally and you’ve lost your logic. You know what I mean?? One of the challenges in English however, is that we don’t have a different case for second person personal pronouns—“you” is “you” sing. and pl.
I do think that Janina Gavankar did really consider my comments/questions, and that’s all anyone can ask. If it is not a bother to you, tell her I am grateful she did—and thank “you” Joe, for posting it. I am sure this is has not been the first time she has been asked the question I posed, both publicly and privately, nor will it be the last—this is quite clear as it seemed to stir up quite a bit of feeling for her. And, in fact, I would be quite keen to read a thesis of hers were she to write one.
So, with that said, to address her last issue: at the end of the day, you are still putting your tongue in someone’s mouth—I’ll be discrete and not go on.
The last thing I wanted to say, the argument she posed “you wouldn’t do a sex scene with someone, but you’d actually sleep with someone who has slept with others in the past” is logically fallacious. That is, it does not stand up to reason (I apologize in advance I am merely looking at the point)—the issue is—which is EVERYTHING “it” the SEX, is not occurring in tandem, it is not concurrent—NOT AT THE SAME TIME. Which is the point Hallelujah!! One who does not concede to engage with multiple partners at the same time has made their stance no? Otherwise this is an “open relationship”. What can you say? Use ex president Clinton’s logic: “I did not sleep with that woman” (I had oral sex with her mind you).
Finally, the issue at hand isn’t whether this is “sex or not” –petting, necking, touching, putting you hands on someone else’s solid gold and whether it is on TV or not. The issue is that sex sells, actors need the work and movie studio have become increasingly risqué both with violence and sexuality…and why? We need more desensitization? No. And I am honestly not so naïve as to believe that there aren’t many many many people is this awesome industry who are genuinely interested in the art—that’s why there are so many terrific films. Most horror, that is good horror, is psychological; classic “romantic” films that have stood the test of time are more fixated on building the sexual tension rather than “simulated” coitus. At the end of the day, the point isn’t whether sex scenes in Hollywood are a “type” of sex or not, because if we subtracted the emotionalism it is—it is what it is. The over arching issue: for some people it does not bother their conscience – clearly for others it does.
Cheers,
WK
Disclaimer: I haven’t had time to thoroughly spell check etc. I don’t have as much time as I would like right now.
Take care.
Thanks, Janina, for the Q&A. It was very fun to read. And I hope you do come back with an essay answer for WraithCake’s question. I’d be curious to hear what you think.
pg15 said: “To give up would mean to analyze the situation and see that there is nothing left to do, but I don’t think she had enough time for that. I think she was just tired, her mind blank at that moment due to her apparently imminent death.”
i like this. a lot.
sally =D
@das – I would love to see Hannah Montana open for Pearl Jam just to take photo’s of the looks on the faces in the crowd. .. and Eddie Vedder’s Truly priceless.
From the sound of things to come, those two bottles of wine might only see you through to the end of the weekend.
erin asked, “Ever been accused of plagiarism? How does a professional writer protect themselves and their art?”
I read a book about plagiarism called Words for the Taking: The Hunt for a Plagiarist by Neal Bowers. He’s a poet and went through a long plagiarism ordeal. It’s a short, but very interesting book. And it’s in prose, not poems. 🙂 I recommend it for people interested in why it’s not good to take other peoples’ property, even intellectual property.
eddy
Joe – Thanks for having Janina visit us to answer our questions!
Janina – Thanks for the time and effort. Btw- I loved you in My Boys. I’m convinced of your acting range because you really “sold it” that you might actually fall for a guy with a southern accent. 😉
Wraith Cake – As an English major, you really need to get away from the University and visit other English speaking parts of the world.
Wraith Cake said”One of the challenges in English however, is that we don’t have a different case for second person personal pronouns—“you” is “you” sing. and pl.”
Ummmmmm yes there is. In the southern US, the plural for “you” is “y’all” and here in Chicago, it’s “youse guys.” For future reference, feel free to use “you all”, “you guys”, “you gals”, “you folks”, or even “you wankers” to make it clear that you mean more than one person. Brevity is no excuse to make yourself unclear.
Also, as for the timing of whichever acts you are trying to clarify, I might point out exactly what you said
Wraith Cake said”Personally, I would never be romantically linked with someone who chose to do a sex scene”
For an English major, you were terribly vague with your tense on that. It reads that you would not go out with someone who had chosen to do a sex scene in the past. I think what you meant was that you would end a relationship with someone if they chose to do a sex scene while y’all were in a relationship. (see how nicely that makes that clear?) I believe that to say what you meant in that sentence structure, it would be: “Personally, I would never be romantically linked with someone who would choose to do a sex scene”
I hope that helps you. Is English your first language? If it’s not, I suggest you study your tenses and visit the real world and actually speak it. If it IS your first language, well, I guess I suggest the same but in different areas than where you live.
Hey Joe.
First off, thanks so much Janina for answering most, if not all of our questions!
Joe, wish me luck…I’m going to take the test for my Learner’s Liscense tomorrow….ahh….clear the roads! 🙂 !
Anyway…what was the best part about your trip to Montreal?
Also, have you ever noticed that tiny, black happy-face at the bottom of your blog page?
Thanks Joe.
Thanks Joe – for arranging our guest Q & A.
Thanks Janina – for taking time to answer our questions.
Joe – Thanks for sharing your Mom’s cake recipe.
Hope you’re feeling better!
Thank you, Janina ….
>>>>The best is definitely the P90. It’s quite a gun. Walkin’ around with it attached to your vest makes you feel pretty rad. I’d love to take a fake one home, but I don’t see customs handling that well!>>>>>
I think I love you! No worries, I’m perfectly straight … but yeah, guns. Big guns, even big fake guns make me all warm and fuzzy. Alright!
NOW I’m ready for Season Five!
@ Narelle from Aus – Please don’t get me started on Vedder. He is yet another one of my…ummm…ya know…
obsessions. 😳
What can I say – I love beautiful men. Even eyebrow-challenged green ones.
As far as the wine goes – no worries. It’s too expensive to waste, and I don’t like to act too stupid (well, MORE stupid), so I tend to go easy on it. It’s the chocolate that’s gonna be in trouble…
@ WK – I understood you perfectly. 😉 Did you read Bam-Bam’s comment on the subject of sex scenes? I think you will like what he had to say very much – it’s in his thread at GW.
I’m not one who cares for sex on the screen. I prefer to be teased – not to have it all shoved in my face. One of the sexiest scenes to me was Bogart and Hepburn in the original Sabrina, on the tennis court. The sexual tension was terrific, and everything else was left to my wild imagination. Was so much better than seeing two naked people rolling around in the sheets like little pink piggies wrestling in the slop trough.
Sorry if I offend any professionals out there, but I just never take sex scenes seriously. I usually find them quite hysterical, not titillating at all. The sexual play-acting makes me feel so uncomfortable for the actors – I’m wondering what bits have tape on them, what other bits have socks on them…what the grips are thinking – the whole thing becomes very distracting to me. It’s not that I’m prudish – not at all (*see all my ‘objectifying the Wraith’ comments). It’s just that I find sex scenes a waste of story-telling time. It’s like – ‘we know people do this – I do it, you do it – it’s human nature…like pooping. But I don’t wanna watch a movie with someone sitting on the john for 15 minutes, either. Just skip the obvious and get on with the damn story!’
Yeah, shutting up now… 😛
das
Hey Joe,
Forgot to say thanks for the advice on the Recommended Reading list. It’s a big help when you are still new in this genre.
Have a good night.
Hope the dogs and Fondy are glad to see you back.
Joe,
I’ve been reading your blog for close to a year now and I can’t help but notice that “Whispers” seems to be very close to your heart, more so than any of the other Atlantis episodes you’ve written. Am I wrong?
Thanks,
Rose
Yeah… I second David’s Q…. what’s with the black happy face??? Seems strange to say the least!
Wow, huge thanks to Janina for the full on q&a, it was really really interesting reading. Joe, thanks again for organising this, it’s rare to get the opportunity to ask an actor questions unless your a journalist, at the right convention, or someone working in the industry. Much appreciated.
7/6Wow, those answers are fabulous! And cheers to Janina for not only answering my questions but pasting the whole bloated question thing there!
I’m going to comment on both the 5th and 6th in this note as I read them both just now.
7/5Cake Recipe: Wow…no cooking required? I might actually try that one…after I make a few runs to the grocery store…whole foods store…cake store?
It actually sounds a lot like “Yum Yum.” Yum yum is made with graham cracker crumbs, vanilla pudding, chocolate pudding, and a whipped cream on top. So…Friendship cake sans the custard, biscotti, and liquor…
Coucou Joseph!!
Waaou!!! 1000 Merci a Janina^^!! Elle est trop gentil d’avoir répondu a toute ces questions, et a la celle que j’avais poser en français, elle est adorable d’avoir fait l’effort d’assayer de répondre a une question francaise =)
Merci, Merci, Merci! Bisou et bonne journée!
Hi again Mr M
greetings from a wet and rainy Tipperary!
Firstly, wrt: Conference Calls… Totally agree. It’s very disconcerting talking to a group of faceless people for 60 minutes..particularly when you are in a social setting and on holiday…I too have risked much ire from relations through the dreaded conference call…
Wrt: Kage Baker, Thank you so much for answering our questions, and I look forward to all the Company Novels.. Am delighted to read all the replies and certainly it gives a great insight to your wonderful creations
@: Janina Ganankar : Wow! Thanks for taking the time to answer all the questions!! It also gives a great insight to the behind the scenes! It must have been a great blast (all puns intended) to do that gig! I look forward to seeing the episode here in Ireland, later in the year!
Safe travel home Mr M…Tell your Mom, I have printed off her recipe (and pics) My small chef’s assitants will be attempting same next weekend!!
S’n’T
Thanks Joe for inviting; THANKS to Janina Gavankar for responding to all of the questions. You both are coolness!
As others have stated, now even more anxious to see your episode as well as the rest of Season 5.
Thank you again for your candor.
Thanks Joe and Janina =D
I’m beginning to wonder what possessed me to ask that question in the first place haha. Glad to hear that the Stargate is as beautiful as it looks on screen =]
My SGA s4 DVD set has SHIPPED!!! Can’t wait til Fri!!!!!!
Thanks Joe for donating space & thanks Kage & Janina for doing the Q&As very cool & interesting.
DaVinci Code The judge ruled correctly. It wasn’t plagiarism, but it was a rip-off of an idea. Hmm, never seen that before.
Be back tomorrow with an Etched City travelogue!
DD
@ dasN’Danger I hope your Mom feels better soon and recovers quickly! I’ll be sending the positive vibes & healing energies to both of you.
Sulien
Narelle from Aus said:
I guess it must be better then 😀
Your post reminds me of those “If you can read this” bumper stickers.
@ Wraith Cake – I’m curious, do you ask the same question of every male actor you meet?
Although at times sex or violence in movies can be gratuitous, there are times where it may serve the plot.
I think there should be greater enforcement of ratings and parents should take responsibility for what their children are watching. I know primary school kids that have seen M rated films and tv shows, which are recommended for mature audiences. I don’t think anyone would say a primary school child is mature.
I must say that the comment about “ignoring the trolls” seemed almost ironic considering your question to Janina. I think she was pretty classy in her response.
Cheers, Chev
Oh, that was awesome to hear from Janina! I’m looking forward to that episode so much more now! (I wasn’t really before, I’m not a horror fan *runs away*) But now I’m ready to see all four of the girls in action!
I do have a question about the Whispers team in response to Janina’s answer… If Vega is the leader, Porter is the Doc, and Dusty is the bodyguard, what’s Cox’s character’s role on the team?
Davidd said:
I believe that’s from the WordPress stats script.
Cheers, Chev
Ms. Dewey has such a plethora of craziness. She’s got a lot a skeletons in the closet. Ask her about guns. She has a collection. She also has a great cowboy hat. And have you met her manservant?
I tried a test search of guns. She brought out a gun and informed everyone how quickly she could strip it. So far I’ve seen the cowboy hat, motorcycle helmet, motorcycle, gun, bomb and the intern. I haven’t caught the manservant. I did rather like the King Kong performance when searching Gorilla. Thanks Janina for answering my questions.
Cheers, Chev
Thank you to Janina, loved the Q & A.
To Bloomgate, re the second person personal pronouns, just don’t use “You People”, it’s considered an insult to persons of color in some parts.
Davidd wrote:
Patricia Lee wrote:
It’s how WordPress counts page views. From the FAQ on Blog Stats:
Rose wrote:
You’re not wrong. It’s because he was able to name a character after me and finally give a small voice to the unspoken passion he’s had for me for years. Isn’t that so, Mr. M?
drldeboer wrote:
Mine’s shipped, too! And I am a very lucky woman who has a 23 year old niece who would rather come to a nursing home and watch TV with her aunt than go out doing whatever it is people in their early 20s do on Friday nights these days. She’s coming early enough we can watch the bloopers, and some other stuff before the premiere and is staying for the second showing as well. I am lucky indeed.
Anne Teldy
1)Will Sheppard and Ronon have any significant disagreements this year, something possibly resulting in more than just angry words?
2)Beyond motherhood, does Teyla have any strong angsty storylines this year?
3)Do we get any deeper glimpses into the vulnerabilities/insecurities that Rodney may hide?
Now I have a question for Janina that I can’t ask her. What the heck is a n00b??
Also, after working in hell for 12 long years I have finally quit my job. I’m switching career paths and moving into a job in the caring profession. There’s far too much bureaucracy in Demon Hunting now and they’ve turned hell into a contact centre. Press 1 for turture, press 2 to listen to Chris de Burgh…etc.etc.
I think the name Demon Hunter would probably scare the people I will be caring for so any advice for a new name??
Joe,
A little late as usual, but I was on vacation and just returned to hear the news about Don Davis. It makes me very, very sad, and I didn’t even know him.
My thoughts and condolences to you, his family and his Stargate family at large. He will be sorely missed.
My Season 4 DVD hasn’t started shipping yet although it is due to ship today. Hopefully it will get to Australia in a few days.
Cheers, Chev
Chev asked: Does your character have the ATA gene naturally, only after gene therapy or not at all?
Janina replied: I’m going with not at all. Unless writers tell me differently!
Well that was my trick question and I haven’t quite decided if that gives us a hint as to Dusty’s future. Would the writers need to clarify the issue if the character died? Am I reading too much into it?
Cheers, Chev
thanks ms. gavankar for answering our questions. especially mine. 😀 i’m glad that i reminded you of just how much a fan of sci-fi you are, people sometimes forget.
some people don’t think there are many female fans of sci-fi, that we only watch a TV show or movie because there’s a hot guy in it. well, it doesn’t hurt 😉 there are more of us female sci-fi fans out there than most people think.
It’s official. I’m addicted to this website. Cable problems this weekend deprived me of my internet, and, my blood pressure and pulse are reflecting that. At least part of the problem’s resolved however, and it was a pleasure to read Ms. Gavankar’s postings. What a sense of energy she conveys, just in words! I wonder if she is one of those people always on the move, always looking for something to be doing, even when just hanging around? And the character of Dusty just HAS to come back. I’m already picturing Dusty and Ronon bumping heads, each certatin they are the responcible party for someone or something’s protection…Mr. M. thanks for the great double treat of Ms. Baker and Ms. Gavankar, looking forward to tonight’s discussion, and my gratitude for both ladies participating in this forum.
If you ever need a photograph of Rodney’s true love then this is purrfect.
http://i151.photobucket.com/albums/s136/wolf63/scan0001.jpg
They even look alike.
🙂
*waves*
No i’ve not disappeared off the face of the planet. Apparently no one can cope without me for more than a day, and I spend the next few weeks sorting stuff out. Boooo to RL.
I missed Janina’s post. 🙁 Glad to hear (well read) that she can kick butt on stage and off. 😉 And i’ve still not sent you the spoilery pics. I need a slap upside the head. Any chance I can borrow a time machine from you? *begs with puppy dog eyes*
Hope your holiday is going great… I won’t tell you I watched S&R and squeed my little heart out and now want to have Marty G’s babies. 😉 I’ll save that for the premier… not the babies thing, as I think I frightened him off whilst on set, but the whole squeeing thing. I’m rambling now aren’t I? 😳
So i’m being philosophical today, and given that there seems to be a lot of foreshadowing and arcing of… well arcs, I wondered if it was possible that we may see in S5 some lovely ramifications? You know how much I love my hurt comfort, and am positively squeeish for S5… I know, so unlike me, so I wondered, will we get to see ramifications from actions, or dare I say it whumpage? 😉 You knew i’d get there in the end didn’t you. 😛 What I mean by that is the whole psychological effects of being hurt, feeling the angst that go beyond the initial angst/whumpage ep? Did that make any sense whatsoever? 😆
I’m really looking forward to the darker/edgier SGA eps this year, and I got my S4 DVD’s the other week and sat and listened to some of the commentary and what I found really interesting was that sometimes you have to fight for those moral dilemma type of elements, and I love that when it happens you get people from all sides debating it for weeks on end, as in Miller’s Crossing. So in my long winded way again, will we get to see psychological ramifications, or moral dilemma, dark type of eps in S5? I know we’ve got Whispers, and Remnant’s to look forward to, but i’m just curious [read: nosey] will we get to see ramifications? 😀 But you love that about me don’t you. 😉
Okay i’m going now since I think i’ve made up for being a bad blog poster these last couple of weeks, or shall I pay more penance? 😉 And you thought Linz was the talkative one. 😉
*hugs*
Thanks was great, thanks for posting it!
Joe, i’m asking this question on behalf of the whinge-bags who constantly come to the SGA board on imdb.com and constantly ask the same annoying question:
“As a proud member of the great country of Great Britain I am deeply offended that the fictional character of Carson Beckett was written as not showing the proper allegiance to the Union flag. How dare he show allegiance to the rogue state of Scotland instead! Why those this character not show the proper allegiance! Bitch bitch moan moan”
We’re getting annoyed at the monthly variations on this question, I was hoping you could put this issue to rest by telling us why Beckett chose to show allegiance to the country of his birth rather than a crumbling former empire
Thanks to Janina for stopping by!! her answers were brilliant!!
in other news: wooooofrakking hoooo!!! got my exam results in the mail today!! i am now a qualified personal trainer and sports therapist!!!!woooooooooooooooooooooooo
@Narelle and das: I’d pay GOOD MONEY to see Hannah Montana open for Pearl Jam! 😆 The crowd’s reaction would be priceless! I live in a Hannah Montana free zone! My younger daughter is a Beatles freak and my older daughter is a Nirvana freak. No Disney music garbage for them. I’m raisin’ ’em right. 😉
Hi Joe,
Now that there was questions and answers from various BOTM authors and from Janina Gavankar which were interesting, by the way. Is there a possibility that in the foreseeable future we can have a Q&A with Christopher Heyerdahl who plays Todd?
LS
Drat! I keep forgetting to say:
@das: I, too, hope your mom feels better. *hugs*
@anne teldy: Now I see why you get a character named after you. You are wise and totally awesome! 😀 I was about to THIRD Davidd’s AND Patricia Lee’s question when low and behold, you already answered it. Yup, you rule! 🙂
@cheeky lil devil: Consider this your slap upside the head. *slap!* My grabby hands want spoilery pics of your fantastic day on the set with my favorite guys! Um, favorite guys aside from my husband and dad, of course. Good to have ya back.
Hi Joe,
Daily visitor, infrequent poster. I have tried both Amazon Unbox and iTunes to see if they have Season Five available to start a season download. Neither site has posted the new season yet. Do you know when it will be available? Also on both sites they often show SGA as one of the most popular season downloads. Does this factor into anything positive for the show?
mary
Thanks, everyone, for wishing my mom the best. She’s doing okay – in a sling and still has a lot of pain, but she should be just fine.
Me, on the other hand… 🙄
Crappy crapday. Phone lines went down in the office over the weekend (including dsl) – we need a new line run and that won’t be for a day or two. Seeing as how we have a AC & commercial refrig. business in a resort town at the height of the summer season, this is NOT good. I spent the entire morning on the phone with the phone company – they were nice, but it still doesn’t get us phone service. Thing is, they came out yesterday to ‘fix’ it, and made it worse. Three phone lines, and only the fax in the office, and one business line in the house, works. Then fought tourist traffic to run errands in a town where it’s impossible to park (ARRGGHH!), planted stuff for mom, dealt with dad’s ‘snark’, and didn’t get a single bit of *my* work done, which means – with the holiday and all – I’m several days behind in my work.
Heh. Probably a good thing the dsl is down in the office. Prevents me from playing. 😛
I really need some Wraithy goodness. Think I’ll watch Common Ground tonight. That episode never disappoints.
Yeah, and watch my dvd player explode tonight, or something.
@ Trish – I’d pay good money to see Eddie Vedder toss this Hannah kid out into an audience of raging metal heads. (Of course, PJ’s audience has aged, so it would be more like tossing her into an audience of raging accountants, lawyers and soccer moms, but you still get the idea)
@ JM – Like LS, I’d love to see a Q&A with Chris Heyerdahl. Only thing is, I’d be way too embarrassed to ask him a single thing… 😳
das
Just adding to the chorus of thanks!
Heh. I was writing my marathon review for Heroes yesterday, but it got so long that I had to save it up in a word document (where the spellcheck informed me that I’ve been spelling “portrayal” wrong this whole time!) and finish it today because I had to go to bed. So anyway, here’s what that review post entailed:
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Glad to be of service, majorsal. 😀
And we have a new #1 for the marathon! More on that below…
Heroes Part 1: Yes, I’ve decided to split this 2 parter into…well, 2-parts. I think of all 2-parters so far, this would be the worst one to split in two, simply because all the humor is in the first half, and all the drama is in the second half, and thus splitting them makes both parts unbalanced. Alas, as I’ve done this with all other 2 parters, it’s only fair that I do it with this one as well.
The first part was, as I just said, hilarious. I really dug Bregman, even though some have said he was over the top. Well, I think that’s the point of this man’s personality; only someone like him would be intimidating enough (once he opens his mouth) to get anywhere in a place like the SGC. Saul Rubinek was unbelievable as Bregman, portraying a character at once intense, intimidating, professional, annoying AND at the same time, I felt sorry for him! That’s hard, considering the last 2 are kind of opposites of each other. I don’t know whether he improvised, or Rob Cooper is just that good, but his dialogue was so natural, with the usual “erm..” and “uh”s, etc. etc. that made it genuine. In fact, it was unique; this episode felt very different from usual Stargate fare due to this touch of realism in the dialogue. All of this contributed to the simple fact that Bregman is now one of my favorite guest characters of all time.
Unfortunately, the fact that Bregman was just SO damn good made it difficult for me to swallow the open hostilities the man faced. I mean, like him, I understood why he was getting all that crap, but I didn’t like it. I felt they at least should’ve thrown him a bone; he was trying to do a job here; it was clear he wasn’t some peon just following orders; he believed in what he was doing, without being afraid of telling it like it is. That really made me respect the man. Besides, he had a point. Let him shoot now, and take all the bad stuff out later. The SGC was being overprotective in this matter, I felt.
The other characters got less exposure with this episode, and it was all basically Bregman (which I didn’t mind); still, what we saw was great. Sam was geeking out over the tech, only to feel crestfallen as she realized that the entertainment industry seems to frown upon geeks like her and us (and Janina!) who obvious find all the tech very interesting indeed. Teal’c was hilariously silent. Daniel was geniusly toying with Bregman and I LOVED him running only to see if he would chase after him. And Jack…well, he was toying with Bregman too, but in his own, more acerbic style and I loved it.
And we also had Janet, who was the perfect interviewee; she was also extraordinarily cute and stunning in this episode, and her attitude with Bregman in the cafeteria was just priceless. I loved her here; one of the only times in the series where we see her out of the office, so to speak. And yet…it’s bittersweet, knowing what’s next.
Finally, we have SG-13 (well, that name was purposeful). They were a great bunch. Colonel Dixon was wonderfully portrayed by Adam Baldwin; all the attitude of Jack but with his own spin on it to make the character unique and lovable. Balinsky was like a young, more hyper Daniel Jackson, and he was pretty cool as well. Bosworth and Wells seemed like typical military brats, and how they bantered was pretty entertaining as well. This could’ve easily been a boring part of the episode (I mean, who’d care about some random team?), but the writing and the acting made it work very well.
And then Kinsey. God, I hate that man. Maybe because it’s an election year and Canada is getting blasted with political crap from the US all the time but…I’m gonna snap soon if Kinsey doesn’t shut his rhetoric pie hole.
So that was part 1. It was already shaping up to be unique and interesting…and then Part 2 blows you away.
Heroes Part 2: This episode now tops my list of my ranking of Stargate SG1 episodes. I can easily think of what I disliked about the episode: trying to fool us into thinking that Jack died. That was foolish because…hey, who’d believe ya? Other than that, this episode was just brilliant in every respect, so much so that I can overlook that little niggle.
I loved this episode. It was just so unique and…well, dramatic, as compared to the rest of SG1. Excellent acting, writing, directing, editing, etc. etc. etc. – all present, and all in full force. The episode starts with some typical Bregman genius, his mind absolutely focused on outputting a superior piece of journalism. Then, we cut on him saying it’s all boring to THE best ground battle scene in Stargate history (again, excellent editing here). I got chills down my spine from the first moment to the last of that extravaganza. The direction is out of this world as we track the action; ships, guns, fireballs, soldiers, everything flew past us as we swept through the massive battlefield. I did wonder why that Alkesh put a bunch of bombs down in the middle of nowhere though. Still, that little query was soon deflected by Jack getting hit, and everything goes quiet. My face was frozen as I watched that whole scene unfold. One of the more disturbing pieces in Stargate history (I’m going to say “Stargate history” a lot here). This whole sequence was just…spectacular.
And then, we return to Earth, and Bregman reveals just how devoted to this he is by breaking the rules and filming secretly (oh, how I DO love Don Davis’s scary “Get that camera out of here! NOW!!” He was gooood. Very authoritative). Then, Sam comes marching down with tears in her eyes and at once the intensity skyrockets as she loses her cool immediately and tells Bregman to shut the camera down. The impact of Sam’s emotions at that moment felt like being bricked in the chest. Serious props to Amanda there; I felt scared, REALLY scared, which is rare for me. And then Bregman delivers one of the best speeches in Stargate history as he seems to pop as well and spills his heart out. It was just so intense, so raw and unrelenting, and so…from the bottom of his soul. I don’t know, it was hard to describe it was so good.
And that whole beginning part…seriously one of the greatest sequence in Stargate history. Barnone. I mean, it’s definitely #1 in raw intensity of human emotion and violence.
And right then and there, when Sam came rushing down the hall, I started to get teary, and it was on-and-off throughout the episode from that moment on.
And then we slow down for a bit as Woolsey is introduced…but not before Hammond gives one of his best performances in Stargate history with that speech of his. Throughout this 2-parter, it just felt like the truth is all coming out, that hidden feelings are being revealed, and to great effect. Don Davis was just so good here. So good.
Then we have Woolsey. Robert Picardo is just genius, and the cold, smooth way he delivered his lines here, coupled with the intentional-misdirection of editing so that the person he’s interrogating kept changing, just made that whole sequence brilliant, though it was clear that that was setup for something later. And the characters themselves, with Sam still emotional from Janet’s death, Daniel’s understated confidence in what he believes in, and Teal’c eternal silence…ack, it’s getting difficult to describe how absolutely mind-blowing these scenes are. Again, intensity is the name of the game.
Oh, and let’s not forget Hammond. His confrontation with Woolsey was short and sweet, and showed plainly how dangerous the latter man was, and how dedicated to his people the former man was. Just, brilliant writing and portrayals.
And I gotta give some kind of award to the scene between Bregman and Danny. First, it was the silent rage Danny directed at Bregman’s nerve at trying to go after his meatier film material, and then the long story that, in any other actor, would probably have been boring. But, in Rubinek’s hands, with the reputation he already built up in Part 1…it was magical. The way he delivered those lines, with the honesty, sincerity, and total confidence in what he believed to be just and true, was just inspiring. No wonder Danny caved. And, it was a pretty good story too. Is it true, or something made up for the episode?
And then…the pivotal scene. Not only did we get a disturbingly intense portrayal from Julius Chapple as Wells (again, brilliantly emotional, intense, and real. Some may even say too real…it was disturbing), which I loved to no end and even got teary over because of how much I felt for him and his wife (the lines there, “God! God shut it off! Shut it off, I don’t want her to see me die!”…I can’t even describe how…anxious, I guess, it made me feel. It was just sooooo intensely portrayed. Awesome. Oh, and the earlier flashback, before Danny started filming; he was great there too), but we also got…Janet’s death. It was so sudden, and so final; the way Janet just lay there, her abdomen smoking, her eyes open and blank, and all was silent in the editing room. My God. I’ll admit I’m not a big fan of Janet’s character (I like her, but, you know, I wouldn’t say I like her as much as I like Jack, or Teal’c for instance), but this was a heavy loss indeed. I am going to miss her from here on out. She was a dedicated and determined person in all walks of life, not just as a doctor, and for her tiny stature, she was incredibly fierce. And of course, Teryl Rothery did a wonderful job portraying her.
From there on out, the mourning can begin. Every scene had something great in it, so I won’t go into it much more, other than to mention that I loved every bit of it. From Sam’s “confession” to Jack, to Daniel remembering Janet’s dedication to him in Meridian, to Teal’c, a man of a few words, writing the eulogy (and what a great eulogy it is. I teared up again during that; it was really fitting). After that, Bregman gets redeemed in the eyes of Hammond and the SGC, and it was only apt that Jack’s interview goes last; the one man who didn’t get interviewed, ready to speak at last after they all saw Bregman’s true colors revealed in that tribute film.
Oh hey, and cute scene with the baby. A bit of happiness to balance out the heavy drama of the rest of the episode; almost to say that, with death, comes new life as well. So yeah…I don’t think there’s much more to it. Janet will be missed. As of now, Heroes Part 2 is the best SG1 episode ever.
But maybe Lost City can beat it?
Resurrection: Ok, well, they can’t all be winners. The episode was a little slow and the threat of the bomb wasn’t really focused on, so I felt very little danger or tension; as a result, it was a tad boring. The direction was actually pretty damn good, so congrats to Amanda. I specifically liked the scene where Danny was watching the video record, and the end, where Keffler stares at Anna with fear, and then we suddenly cut to complete blackness and a cease in all music, and all you hear are the gunshots; made me jump when I first saw that part! The concept behind Anna and Keffler’s motivation once again dwells on that age-old dilemma of the needs of the few vs. the needs of the many, and I liked that a lot. Speaking of Keffler, I thought Brad Greenquist did a great job portraying that slimy bastard of a man. I also liked Danny’s referencing past events. Anna, I think, could’ve been portrayed differently (she didn’t seem quite as “broken” as she should’ve been), so there was room for improvement there; though I did like the character, to a degree. Finally, I gotta give props to Michael Shanks for some hilarious banter between Sam and Barrett at the beginning of the episode. But other than that, there wasn’t much else. Overall, a mediocre episode.
I haven’t asked any question from Janina; I never know what to ask… But, I read it all with great interest and THANK YOU, both to JM for bringing Janina here and of course J for answering all these questions.
I think a visit from Chris Heyerdahl would be a great idea. I am really interested to hear how an actor gets into the role of a non=human intelligent ‘creature’ and makes him so believable that one forgets there’s a human actor below all that make up.
@Das–I have a feeling that you would overcome your shiness very quickly. 😀 I know I would have none, except for my inability to come up with intelligent questions. But that’s another story.
@das and Trish – Don’t forget how us oldies get to the concert and then start talking about “In my day when Eddie had long hair…”
Sorry Joe, this has turned into a Pearl Jam appreciation Comments page. At least you can’t say we don’t have diverse interests??
Now that I think about it… do our teenage crushes on long haired band members explain some of our fascination with the Wraith? Hmmmm? Excuse me while I go and do some quiet reflection.
Can you send some warmth to Melbourne please? It’s freeeezing. There is this strange liquid falling from the sky. I remember it from my childhood…
Dear Joe, I have to admit (sheepishly looks around) I typically don’t read anyone else’s comments on your blog except the people who I know from the WDC—I already have enough posts to sift through as it is. However, it looks like my question has stimulated quite a bit of discussion, and taken on a personality of its own, which usually happens with controversial topics. People feel very passionate about certain issues and as a result often take to heart what other people say on the matter: so much for changing the world eh? It must be interesting for you to watch this blog/world of chatter you’ve set in motion—BTW have you played spore yet? I created a wraith ship creature, but instead of soaring/gliding through the air like a majestic bird of prey (as I hoped it would), it hopes around like a personified drumstick and it squawks like a rooster. Oh well, maybe the wraith actually do live on chicken ships…
@ 34 Bloomgate – thank you for being candid. I’m Canadian not American, and I don’t mean that facetiously. I wouldn’t use Americanism in my street speak, it just doesn’t suite my personality and it is force of habit. Believe it or not, I must use proper English-‘isms’ as part of my job: no using “quote” it’s “quotation”, “their” is incorrect it is he/she or better yet “he” as the gender neutral (when referring to people), though this is changing. If I don’t use complete and perfect Canadian English parents complain—sci fans have nothing on vociferous parents. Welcome to the politics of Education—it is what it is. So no, can’t use “ye’all!” “yuseguys” “yippy-yahoo guys” “youz-peeps” “yappy diggidy doggies” (ha ha ha) or any other “you-‘isms’”. As much as I would like.
@dasNdanger: you’ve always got my back girl. Thanks sweetie. I will definitely check out that interview you spoke of—cheers and see you at the WDC.
WK
Oh yes, and interview with Christopher Heyerdahl aka Todd would be “da bomb”!!
Here’s my wraith drumsticks…doing the chicken dance, I think.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jjM8cDwWtoQ
WK
Demon Hunter said:
n00b is a bit of a derogatory term for people that are beginners at something but aren’t willing to learn from others. They’ll continually do the wrong thing, and can be rude and demanding.
Another term newb or newbie is for people that are beginners at something, however they want to learn. They’ll be the ones asking questions politely and listening to advice if you let them know about the rules e.g with forums, websites, online games etc.
Cheers, Chev
@ T64 – I dunno. It’s one thing to pester Joe. It’s quite ANOTHER thing to bow down at the feet of Todd. 😉
@ Narelle from Aus – *sigh* Eddie with long hair. Absolutely beautiful man, and beautiful hair. I’m okay with the shorter hair now – but it’s the long hair that caught my eye. Same with the Wraith. I have a serious long hair fetish, and their hair is gorgeous. I don’t think it has anything to do with rock bands because I’ve been like this since I was a kid. When I was about 5, I had a ‘crush’ on Tiny Tim – this freaky guy with a high-pitched voice and long hair. I didn’t care about how weird he was, I just loved his hair.
It’s a sort of visual obsession, and to this day I’ll break my neck to look at a guy with long hair…ya know, just like a guy will break his neck to look at big boobies.
But I like bald guys, too. It’s one reason I’m a bit excited about this new big bad Wraith in S5 – can’t wait to see his lovely dome in all its shiny green glory! Long hair – or no hair – no middle ground for me! Hubby, of course, has short hair…the perfect kind that’s never messy. I think it’s God’s way of getting back at me for my fetishes…
@ WK – no problem. I find it difficult to express myself properly on-line…both in finding the right words, and in tempering those words without the benefit of vocal intonation and facial expressions. Since it’s sometimes hard for me, I try not to dwell on the technicalities of how others express themselves on-line, but instead focus on the essence of what they are trying to say, and the passion and conviction with which they are saying it.
@ JM – I’m getting nervous for S5. REALLY nervous, but about the fate of the Wraith, not about the quality of the shows. Are you nervous about the new season and how fans will receive it, or what the numbers will show?
das
Thanks so much for this, Joe and Janina!! It was interesting and revealing. Very enjoyable.
@ Wraith Cake # 76
You still haven’t answered my question about English being your 1st language or not. Being Canadian doesn’t make that so.
As I pointed out, there are many ways to properly modify a sentence to make your intentions clear and still be structurally correct. It sounds to me like you are stuck in a textbook.
You also didn’t respond to using the correct tense for your own sentence. I’m pretty certain that you don’t want to admit that you weren’t perfect, so I’ll let it slide because my point is certainly not to cause a scene. I’m merely noting it.
As I said previously, brevity (and I’ll add archaic structural expectations) are no reason to be unclear. It’s inefficient and the inaccuracies due to archaic structure will make the same conversation take 5 times longer in real life, at least. Obviously Ms. Gavankar misunderstood your statement EXACTLY the same way I did.
If you are using this blog to teach your students English in an interesting way, I applaud you. However, don’t shortshrift your students with your own issues. Merely typing “someone who chose” instead of “someone who would choose” created this entire situation. Typing it right would have made your point FAR more clear and any misunderstanding wouldn’t have existed.
Learn your tenses Dude!
A huge thankyou to Janina for taking the time out to answer some questions and giving us some fun and interesting answers! 😀